We all loved the PlayStation 4 exclusive Spider-Man title from Insomniac Games, so that got me thinking about other superheroes deserve to star in their own video game. I’m not talking about games like Injustice 2 or LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 because those games throw so many superheroes into the mix all at once.
Instead, in this article, I will be talking about the superheroes I think should have a game focused just on them and give some example ideas of what I think would be a perfect fit gameplay wise, so check out my top seven picks below, sorted in no particular order.
Please note: The images in this article are from TV series or films and no games solely focusing on these characters are known to be in development.
Jessica Jones
After binge-watching both Season 1 and 2 of Marvel’s Jessica Jones, she has become my absolute favourite female superhero. Jessica isn’t your average superhero, she is twisted and maybe even a bit broken inside, just trying to make a living for herself as a private investigator.
Her powers include being extremely strong and having rapid healing, but one thing that didn’t heal was the PTSD she tries to deal with after being under the control of Kilgrave (The Purple Man), possibly the most disturbing villain I have ever seen, with mind control as his power.
A game starring Jessica Jones could see the player in the role of a private investigator, dealing with darker topics. Players should obviously be able to use Jessica’s strength to smack around some enemies, but the focus should remain on Jessica’s personal journey and investigative work, such as staking out a building, questioning suspects and discovering clues.
Iron Man
Just like Batman, Iron Man doesn’t have any superpowers and is just super-rich. However, Tony Stark is a superhero in my mind and don’t even get me started on the whole Civil War debate because Iron Man was right…
Back to the point though, as I think a game focused solely on Iron Man would be absolutely fantastic. Tony Stark is, of course, not only rich, but he is a genius inventor as well. Apart from fighting bad guys in an awesome suit, I think an Iron Man game has the potential to include some really cool RPG systems, such as researching new technologies, upgrading your suit and calling other AI-controlled suits to your aid.
There are just so many gameplay systems that would make sense in an Iron Man game that he would be the perfect fit as the star of a big AAA video game. Bonus points if Robert Downey Jr. does the voice acting and motion capture, and the same goes for Gwyneth Paltrow.
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman, also known as Diana, Princess of the Amazons, is my favourite female superhero from the DC universe. Strong, confident and extremely powerful, Wonder Woman is like a force of nature. I would love to see Wonder Woman as the star of a big AAA video game, but unlike most others on the list, I think her origin story would be the perfect setting for a first video game outing.
Players can fight off invaders trying to enter Themyscira in the fluid and addictive combat style such as the Arkham series. Sure, Diana might be super strong, fast and durable, but I would love to see a focus on her weapons. In a game, players could unlock her weapons and upgrade them as well as focus progression points into the effectiveness of her Sword and Shield or tiara. How much damage her bracelets can absorb could also be a factor and last but not least, her Lasso of Truth can be used both as a ranged weapon and as a way to interrogate enemies.
The best possible way, in my opinion, for a Wonder Woman game to look is like an Action-RPG focusing on her interesting origin story.
The Flash
Imagine running around in a highly populated area at super speed as everything you run past just moves in slow motion. You see a cyclist’s starting to fall while trying to avoid a dog in the road while you are on your way to stop a bank robbery in Central City, so you stabilize the cyclist, return the dog to their own all in the time it takes a drop of sweat to drip from the face of someone jogging in the street.
That’s what a game focusing on the “fastest man alive”, also known as The Flash, could look like. DC’s The Flash has a plethora of villains to choose from, interesting characters to meet and a range of cool abilities that could be perfect for a great AAA title. I would love to see a game where you learn to control your powers, shift through walls and ultimately even run into the past or the future.
There are an incredible amount opportunities here to create a game that not only stays true to the source material or take advantage of the “multiverse”, which means that basically anything can happen.
Thor
Who hasn’t dreamt of waking up one day and realising that you are now Thor, son of Odin and the God of Thunder? It would be a glorious day…That’s why I think Thor would be such a great fit, especially with all the lore surrounding Asgard and the Nine Worlds not being touched on all that much in the films.
There is some really deep lore a video game can get into and I would love to see this accompanied by a God of War type fighting style. A Thor game should probably have a third-person perspective and a great combat system, where you can use Mjölnir to smash your enemies to bits.
There should be a highly-destructible environment as well. Lastly, it would be great to see Loki play a big role as well, or even just leave some riddles/traps to pester Thor with, much like the Riddler’s role in the Arkham games.
Ant-Man
The wise-cracking Scott Lang, also known as Ant-Man, proves that dynamite comes in small packages. Although not one of the top Marvel superheroes, Ant-Man has everything needed to be a great video game star. Think about it, the possibilities are endless with Ant-Man.
One moment, you could be in a garden in a fight to the death with a bee, while the next moment you could be rising a cockroach in a kitchen trying to avoid being stomped to death by a vigilant housekeeper. Ant-Man has a lot of untapped potential, to say the least.
A video game adaptation of the tiny superhero could include things like upgrading your suit and even a morality system. Do you steal some diamonds on the side after stopping a robbery or do you do the right thing?
Dr Strange
Do you believe in magic? Well, Dr Strange does and he wields it in the most impressive way I have ever seen. Dr Stephen Vincent Strange wasn’t always a powerful magician, but after a car accident that left him unable to perform surgery, he sets off to find a way to cure his hand. That’s where he encounters the Ancient one and finally becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, the Earth’s primary protector against mystical and magical threats.
That’s also why I think he could be another great fit as a video game protagonist. Strange possesses so many powerful artefacts and draws power from mystical entities, for example, Agamotto and Watoomb. He can also summon magical melee weapons and the Cloak of Levitation, which allows him to fly, as well as a crystal ball called Orb of Agamotto. In a game, players should learn to control Strange’s plethora of abilities and fight off a mystical threat.
One could see the first part of the game take place on Earth, with the second part taking place in another dimension as strange tries to destroy the source of an invasion. A game starring Dr Strange could have so many diverse mechanics and I would love to see it have some Skyrim style mechanics, where you become better at a certain skill or weapon by using it. Further, it could be a great VR game, where you have to use move controllers to draw the correct patterns to cast spells.
Which other superheroes would you like to see star in their own current-gen video game and what do you think about these top 7 picks? Let us know in the comment section below.
